Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Mexico versus $792 in Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in Mexico versus $1,256 in Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,441 in Mexico versus $1,719 in Guatemala.

Living in Mexico is roughly 42% more expensive than in Guatemala on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Guatemala 41% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $687 to $2,360, compared to $112–$1,281 in Guatemala. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$184

$5.73 Q 43.70

83.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$734

$50.6 Q 386

-17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$6.36 Q 48.47

23.11%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$59.2

$3.42 Q 26.09

-1.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.46

$1.35 Q 10.31

-0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.25

$1.05 Q 8.01

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.92

$3.21 Q 24.46

-27.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$72.4

$5.32 Q 40.58

-22.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.44

$1.92 Q 14.66

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$45.15

$2.72 Q 20.76

-5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.23

$1.83 Q 13.98

-2.73%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.52

$2.33 Q 17.79

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$151

$7.32 Q 55.8

17.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$132

$7.89 Q 60.1

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$9.49 Q 72.4

13.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.29

$3.66 Q 27.92

-24.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.59

$1.61 Q 12.29

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.62

$3.33 Q 25.41

-44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.55

$1.51 Q 11.51

19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.77

$1.57 Q 12.00

22.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$36.04

$1.84 Q 14.04

11.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.21

$0.73 Q 5.59

73.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.28

$1.15 Q 8.76

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MX$76.4

$3.71 Q 28.29

17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$201

$8.20 Q 62.5

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.90

$1.87 Q 14.29

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.88 Q 21.98

4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.29

$1.02 Q 7.75

-37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 MX$460

$13.09 Q 99.8

100.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$47.16

$3.68 Q 28.08

-26.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$34.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$187

$9.91 Q 75.6

7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.36

$1.10 Q 8.41

15.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.4K MX$357.0K

$18.6K Q 141.4K

9.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.3K MX$409.5K

$22.7K Q 172.7K

3.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$63.3 MX$1,111

$59.1 Q 450

7.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.40 MX$410

$28.82 Q 220

-18.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$492

$52.4 Q 399

-46.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MX$618

$44.45 Q 339

-20.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 MX$325

$25.14 Q 192

-26.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$85.2

$6.62 Q 50.5

-26.59%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,329

$261 Q 1,992

-5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,786 MX$101.5K

$8,177 Q 62.3K

-29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$905

$50.8 Q 387

1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MX$726

$51.7 Q 394

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 MX$1,656

$98.0 Q 747

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 MX$1,549

$102 Q 780

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$668 Q 5,095

-3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,992

$435 Q 3,319

4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.9K

$1,294 Q 9,868

-3.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 MX$15.0K

$709 Q 5,402

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.5K

$2,243 Q 17.1K

15.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,536 MX$26.9K

$1,153 Q 8,793

33.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 MX$14.1K

$583 Q 4,441

38.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.71

31.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $219 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $1,003 in Mexico City vs $717 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $761 in Mexico, $703 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 142% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 15% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Mexico.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $697 per month in Guatemala and $1,524 in Mexico, there's a 119% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guatemala: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico is consistently higher than in Guatemala across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Mexico it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.